Tag Archives: Saturdays

Writing Poetry – the Nuts and Bolts

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Orange Parker Pen

I got into my car at16.00 precisely tonight. Traffic was light and I arrived home at 16.11. After allowing myself to dwell on the years 1600 – 1611, where the reign of Elizabeth I gave way to the reign of James I (or James VI if you prefer the Scottish version). Our recent change from Elizabeth II to Charles III has shown little change, but the earlier change was more dramatic. We had witch trials thanks to James, the Gunpowder Plot and attempts to unite England and Scotland. As usual, there is a lot of history, and not enough time to do it justice. In an ideal world I would have taken to my book-lined study and immersed myself in Jacobean history.

Instead, I had tea and banana bread and chatted to Julia, which was an excellent substitute.

We had chickpea and sweet potato curry for tea, as planned, and practiced being retired – sitting round the fire making dull conversation about our day and watching TV. I think we are getting the hang of it and will probably enjoy it.

In the next two weeks I have to write twenty seven tanka, 10 haiku and 13 Haibun/Tanka Prose. Fortunately I have fifteen Haibun/Tanka Prose that are almost finished. I’m trying to do bit on them each night. The tanka are not as far advanced, but I’m getting through them. I really need to get out and get some inspiration. That is planned for Monday. Under the new arrangements I have Mondays off. It’s just that every time I am ill, I seem to stop writing and it takes a while to get things moving again.

I think I’m back on the right track again, but it takes a surprising time to turn things round. I keep thinking of the effort of manoeuvring a large modern ship.

February will be quite a light month, so if I can get January out of the way it looks like all will be well. It’ quite  way from the inspiration/art/creativity model, but without this sort of planning nd framework I would find it har to do anything. Inspiration rarely strikes – it’s hard work that produces the goods.

My Orange Parker Pen

 

Saturday Morning Questions About My Life

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When I was a young man I used to work six days a week. We did the five weekdays then alternated Saturday or Sunday. I used to swap with someone else. He liked Saturdays off because he liked to go into town with his friends and I used to like Sundays off because I liked to watch motor racing, which was mainly on Sundays. In those days shops didn’t open on Sundays.

It worked well as a system, but I always wanted to get to a level where I didn’t have to work at weekends. Eventually I did. Then I started in the antiques trade, which meant I was back to weekend working. Now, at the twilight end of my career, I’m back to working Saturdays.

I sit here typing and wondering how I have ended up working on Saturdays. I’m not stressed about it. In practice it makes little difference to my life, but I can’t help wondering what happened to my career trajectory and the successful life I had planned.

I can’t really complain as I have a roof over my head,  tolerant wife and food in the cupboards. It comes back to gratitude and knowing when you have enough. I touched on this yesterday, and today is another example. If I was living on a windy hillside in a plastic tent, and ten thousand refugees for neighbours,  my dripping gutter would seem like paradise.

I wonder why we can organise a war in Ukraine, but we can’t attain world peace. It’s easier, I suppose, to shoot someone than help them. You have to wonder whether an international cull of politicians would help bring about world peace, shooting them being easier than re-educating them.

By  5pm I am hoping to be in a more cheerful mood.